| Adelaide Jubilee International Exhibition | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Overview | |
| BIE-class | Unrecognized exposition |
| Name | Adelaide Jubilee International Exhibition |
| Building(s) | Jubilee Exhibition Building |
| Area | 18 acres |
| Visitors | 766,880 |
| Participant(s) | |
| Countries | 26 |
| Location | |
| Country | Australia |
| City | Adelaide,South Australia |
| Venue | North Terrace |
| Coordinates | 34°55′14″S138°36′22″E / 34.920544°S 138.606188°E /-34.920544; 138.606188 |
| Timeline | |
| Opening | 21 June 1887 |
| Closure | 7 January 1888 |
TheAdelaide International Jubilee Exhibition of 1887 was a celebration of the50th anniversary ofQueen Victoria's accession to the throne on 20 June 1837,[1] held inAdelaide,South Australia, in 1887. It was also a celebration of the 50th anniversary of theProclamation of South Australia which occurred around six months earlier, on 28 December 1886.
The idea of South Australia hosting an international exhibition as a patriotic gesture was promoted in the early 1880s, culminating in a Bill which was passed by Parliament in 1883. Subsequent opposition to the scheme on the grounds of the expense involved saw the Bill being repealed in 1884, and SirEdwin T. Smith pushed for a less grandiose celebration, which resulted in the Act of 1885, and the voting of £32,000 for a permanentExhibition Building, as well as an adjacent temporary building. The cost of running the Exhibition, expected to be met by entrance fees, was underwritten by a handful of wealthy guarantors,[2] including pastoralistClement Sabine. Arailway line was constructed from theAdelaide railway station to the Exhibition Building.
J. F. Conigrave was Secretary,William Alfred Robinson was on the committee;Robert Dalrymple Ross was a promoter.H. C. E. Muecke was Executive Commissioner for Germany; C. L. Meyer (1849–1916) for Austria-Hungary. Sir Herbert Sandford R.A. (1826–1892) visited as British Commissioner,[3] enlistingJ. C. Wharton as secretary.John Neild was the popular and hard-working commissioner for New South Wales.[4]
A London Committee was formed under Chairman theDuke of Manchester, while secretaryGeorge Levey contributed largely to the Melbourne, London, Philadelphia, New York and Paris press, and wrote various important official reports.
The formal opening ceremony took place on 21 June 1887 and began, after a prayer byBishop Kennion and a performance of theExhibition Cantata (George Herbert Cossins / Edward R. G. W. Andrews), with an address by Sir Edwin Smith, the Vice-President of the South Australian Commission, presenting to the President, theGovernorSir William Robinson with a goldenmaster key to the Building, all the locks having been donated byChubb & Co. This part of the formalities over, the orchestra and chorus under ProfessorJoshua Ives struck upThe Song of Australia.[5]
At the closing ceremony on 7 January 1888, theJubilee Cantata (orVictoria Cantata) was performed. Written (words and music) byCarl Puttmann, it opened with variations on theSong of Australia and concluded with afugue onGod Save the Queen. Total attendance at the Exhibition was announced as 766,880, of which cash admissions were 378,558; season ticketholders 372,818; schools 12,034; and free 3,470.[6]
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Thirty-four juries, each with between 4 and 12 jurors,[note 1] made 3,426 awards.[7] Among the award winners was the Britishironmongery manufacturer and retailerVerity Brothers ofLeeds, who won a First Order of Merit medal.[8]
| Awards by countries and Australian states | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Tot | |
| Austria-Hungary | 45 | 32 | 17 | 94 |
| Belgium | 71 | 39 | 46 | 156 |
| British North Borneo | 1 | 1 | ||
| Denmark | 1 | 1 | ||
| France | 10 | 7 | 2 | 19 |
| Germany | 71 | 32 | 11 | 114 |
| Holland | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Italy | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
| New South Wales | 189 | 130 | 75 | 394 |
| Victoria | 268 | 151 | 89 | 508 |
| South Australia | 457 | 316 | 225 | 998 |
| Seychelles Islands | 4 | 4 | ||
| Sweden | 3 | 1 | 4 | |
| Switzerland | 1 | 1 | ||
| United States of America | 56 | 21 | 10 | 87 |
| United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland | 663 | 227 | 98 | 988 |
| Algiers | 1 | 1 | ||
| Canada | 3 | 7 | 10 | |
| Fiji | 4 | 1 | 5 | |
| India | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
| Johore | 2 | 2 | 4 | |
| Manila | 1 | 1 | ||
| New Zealand | 6 | 4 | 10 | |
| Tasmania | 11 | 2 | 13 | |
| TOTAL | 1,875 | 975 | 576 | 3,426 |
Dozens of concerts were given during the course of the Exhibition, including the following:
TheRoyal Agricultural and Horticultural Society ran their Spring Show concurrently with the Jubilee Exhibition from 14 to 17 September, but at the "Old Exhibition Grounds" on the other side of Frome Road. The Show had been extended from two to four days on account of the great interest shown, particularly in the display of sheep, which was of a very high standard.[12]
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A wide range of awards included:
Costs of running the Exhibition, not counting capital works, were more than covered by gate takings and other receipts, a tribute to the Committee's organisation, but also to the patriotic fervour of the times.
John Neild began to encounter difficulties in his political career towards the end of the 1880s; criticism of his oversight of the establishment of the Exhibition led to investigation by a Legislative Assembly select committee, but he was exonerated.
The area north of the Exhibition Railway Station was cleared and formed into a sports oval, bordered by a banked cycle racing track, and christened theJubilee Oval. It was used, in conjunction with theJubilee Exhibition Building, forRoyal Agricultural and Horticultural SocietyAutumn Show in 1895, and all Shows until the Spring Show at theWayville showgrounds in September 1925.
